Red Mirror
by DC111
Summary: Eggman's exposure to negative Chaos energy is slowly mutilating him, and his madness must be stopped. Only Sonic knows enough to have a chance – but after all that's happened, Tails isn't so keen to let him rush into Eggman's territory once again. Even without incident, halting Eggman's catastrophic decline would elicit a cost of its own.
1. Chapter 1: Loose Ends

_Sonic clutched at his chest, but couldn't find the sensation that brought on the need in the first place. It wasn't any kind of pain, and it definitely wasn't pleasure. Even though it felt like it was somewhere near his chest, it was hard to place, almost like it was away from him at the same time…_

"_What did you do to me?" he demanded to know, glaring across the dim room at Eggman. He was urgent to get rid of the weird feeling and he was sure he had just shown it. After an instant of eye contact, however, Sonic realized Eggman's face held no amusement for his confusion._

"_I was going to ask you the same."_

"_What? I… I didn't do anything. I mean, I did, but I didn't think…"_

_His breath got stuck in his throat as the feeling spiked. He saw Eggman startle at the same time. They were looking at each other through a foggy glow that looked like evaporated blood._

_This was a feeling that _did not exist._ It couldn't be explained, even in his own mind without words. The mind had no neurons, no signals, no ability to transmit or create what they were going through. It didn't hurt – it didn't _anything,_ that he could place – it was just dreadfully surreal. _

_When there was a brief lapse, he couldn't remember what it felt like. It was beyond comprehension, on some other realm of possibility which wasn't the one that the physical and chemical realities of life existed on… nor thought, nor senses, and everything that entailed…_

_Next came something he could only associate with sound, though it wasn't quite that either. Somehow he knew that only he and Eggman were aware of it. It was akin to screeching, ripping… like a sheet of hot, spun steel being pushed apart from the inside. He 'felt' it – but again was detached from it, like it wasn't a part of this world._

_Was this a dream? But this non-feeling couldn't _be_, even in the most nonsensical of dreams… and he knew this was real. Anyone, anywhere could self-evaluate and make themselves aware of their own realism. Could know that right now was not a dream and they were not asleep. Sonic had this knowledge for himself presently… and that made him all the more confused._

_He could only stare across the room blankly, transfixed by the ethereal nothing and everything._

_Then, just before his entire being was corrupted forever, he realized what was happening.  
_

**RED MIRROR**

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Disclaimer: All Sonic characters (c) Sega and Sonic Team.

**WARNING: story contains possible frightening or disturbing scenes.** Need to know more? Shoot me a PM. I don't bite, but I guess my stories can. ;) Was told last time around that some of my content actually does need warnings so I went back and stuck one on SR and now I'm sticking one here too. Nothing too sustained; it just has its moments.

More things to say at the end! Just didn't wanna clutter up the intro. Enjoy!

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Chapter 1: Loose Ends

Sonic's legs dangled freely over a precipice that gave way to a stunning expanse of mountains. His toes were slightly curled against the insides of his shoes, just in case. If one slipped off, he'd never get it back. It was a long, rocky way down. The field of ragged blue-gray was dappled with random patches of trees and grass that accented the view.

For all its undeniable grandeur, it was still a modest and curious place to him. The kind of place he spent many a day at, exploring the heights and crevices and absorbing the beauty the world had to offer. At that particular moment, though, the blue blur was distracted from the sight, eyes focused on something much smaller: the backs of his hands. Scars there stung from the chilly weather. The mountains reached up into high winds, and the air was cool with the approach of winter.

They were scars he had from being trapped in Eggman's prison several weeks before. Eggman's latest scheme had been to capture thousands of people and find a way to use negative Chaos energy to make them his minions. Because Eggman had known Sonic was able to use Chaos energy, he had used the hedgehog as a guinea pig in his experiments.

Sonic didn't happen to be the most cooperative of guinea pigs and that had produced lasting consequences for both of them – some yet unknown – but ultimately, Eggman's ambitions had been stopped before they could take effect.

The hedgehog's scars were small and thin now, just barely raised compared to the rest of his skin. They had healed, but tended to be a little sensitive. As the weeks had passed, they had shrunken considerably, disappearing almost completely under the glove and sock cuffs, to Sonic's partial joy.

At first he had wanted them to go away, not really appreciating the prospect of permanent marks tainting his otherwise spic-and-span appearance. As they stubbornly remained there and the world kept on turning, he had become indifferent about it, and eventually a little proud of what they meant – and what he had made it through. Why not be? It was worth feeling a little awesome about, surely? They _had _won, after all.

He had the occasional nightmare still, and usually woke up thinking he was still trapped. But once awake, he often forgot the details of it and it posed little intrusion on his life, as far as he could tell. He didn't give it enough thought to see otherwise.

Idly running the fingers of one hand over the bumpy tissue on the other, Sonic gazed back out over the mountains and saw their jaggedness and imperfection in a slightly new light – though his opinion of them was still no less than perfect. He smiled, got up, and ran toward whatever would catch his attention next.

He couldn't be gone too long, he knew. Tails worried about him easily now. But at the same time, the young fox had found it in himself to respect Sonic's need to get away now and then. Neither of them took advantage of the other's needs, the two brothers being extra careful while the effects of their still-recent ordeal wore off.

Eventually he located a winding path lower in the mountains, and took it to the bottom where it ultimately slanted in toward the cliff. The cliff itself had a narrow crevice in one area; a natural tunnel that led to a cave full of crystalline structures. It was a dark but gorgeous area.

Some time before, Tails had hidden the Master Emerald there to protect it from Eggman while its guardian had been trapped in the prison tower along with Sonic. After being freed, the blue blur fought the doctor for the powerful gem, and won marginally.

Now, Tails often spent time at the cave as a sanctuary. The fox appreciated that it was a secluded, unknown area much like his home in the Mystic Ruins had been before. These days, the media wanted to spend as much time there as _he _did, thanks to their recent adventure. It was nice to have a different place to go while that phase blew over.

Sonic appreciated it too. What had happened in the Meka Tower wasn't exactly something he – or anyone else he knew – wanted to be interviewed about, and besides that, the cave was kinda nice when you weren't there to get beaten to a pulp.

As he jogged through the tunnel, he took out his Chaos Emerald to light the way. Knuckles had told him to keep it so that they would start with the advantage when Eggman recovered from his defeat. Its vivid light threw his shadow on one of the side walls.

He reached the end of the path and typed the code into Tails's password door. It emitted a groan and opened.

"Tails," he greeted with a casual salute, holding up the gem in his other hand so he could see better. "Ya need some more lights in here, bud. I don't have a stock of these things."

"Not like that one's gonna run out, though, is it?" The fox snickered and did something Sonic couldn't see. Then the cave flashed and flickered its way to brightness. "Let there be light!" the kit said proudly, gesturing to a series of lights he had installed in one area. That light in turn reflected off the glistening gems coating the cave – Rouge's heaven, Sonic idly noted – and made the whole place glow. There was what looked like a makeshift bedroom where Tails was, and small devices lying about that the kid had been occupying himself with. "I just wanted to wait and see if you'd say something like that first."

Sonic laughed. "I'm not going to bother asking how you managed to pull _that _off."

"Really? It wasn't that big of a deal. Since there are mountains here, higher than anything that would cast a shadow over them, it was the perfect place to utilize solar power. The lights only turn off when it's night or if it's very cloudy. I just had to hook something up at the top of this cliff that would transmit the…"

"Tails." Sonic held out a hand. "I see. Don't worry about explaining!" He paused, then laughed in spite of himself as he looked around at the new lights. "Heh. _I see._ Get it?"

Tails smiled a bit and sighed.

"Anyway! I was wondering, what do you think about checking out the Egg Carrier 2 like we mentioned before? Just to make sure ol' Egghead isn't planning on using it again anytime soon, you know, since we kinda left it in commission. And maybe you can even find some resources for yourself in there!"

"I'd rather wait on that."

Sonic tossed the Chaos Emerald in one hand. "But he's weak right now. He'll be on it again before we know it, which is why it's probably _better _to go sooner. Even if we're not as prepared as usual… he'll be even _less _prepared. Unless we wait."

Tails's mouth twisted as he considered this. Finally, his ears fell and he looked back up at his brother. "I wish I could argue, but I can't. You're right."

"Why you say that? Tails, I think you're thinking about it too much, bud. The way things went before, we'll just have to find a way to keep it from flying, and that'll be that. We're gonna have to do it eventually." He shrugged, then frowned when Tails didn't respond. "I mean, aren't you a little excited?"

"I am… or, you know, I'm trying to be. I guess, honestly, I guess I'm still a little scared."

"What're you scared of, buddy?"

"Same as before. Our _last _adventure was never supposed to be a big deal either, but it became one, because we so happened to go looking for Chaos Emeralds that day and you wound up captured. A chance occurrence that made things so much harder than they had to be." The fox met Sonic's eyes stubbornly, feeling convinced of his own point. "So many of my friends getting trapped needlessly, some of Eggman's prisoners not making it alive, and… everything that happened…" Tails looked away, timid again. "I just… I sometimes don't know how to keep up with how crazy he's gotten."

Sonic had a hand on his hip, looking at his friend with a peculiar expression. Eggman _had _gotten crazy – it was no secret anymore that something was terribly wrong with the scientist. Even more wrong than he already was. But still… "Are you saying you don't wanna do this?" Sonic asked, voice full of gentleness and curiosity rather than accusation. "Like… _ever?_"

"No, Sonic, that's not what I'm saying." Tails brightened slightly, letting the hedgehog knew he meant it. "Because it's like you told me before. It's okay to be scared sometimes, and sometimes that's all the more reason to fight. And that it doesn't have to stop you. You remember saying that?"

"Yeah," Sonic said, lighting up too. "I remember."

"That's kind of how I feel. Just like you did then. Scared, but ready. I'm worried, but I don't want to give up. I just… I just needed to tell you is all."

"Well, I'm glad ya told me, then!" Sonic gave him a friendly slap on the shoulder. "You can tell me anything, m'kay? And hey, I'll be here the whole time. We won't leave each other's side this time. I know it's a little scary, but we can be scared together, okay? And everything'll be fine by the end of the day."

Tails swallowed, eyes sparkling. He wasn't used to hearing such things from his older brother; a guy who had tried to hide all fear and negativity once upon a time. But in a way, Tails saw Sonic as being even stronger for _not _hiding it quite as much now. For admitting fear to others and himself, and confronting it anyway. When Tails was young he hadn't known how to be brave, and because of Sonic's example, he hadn't realized that being brave didn't mean _not _being scared. Eventually, he had learned for himself. But it was nice, as the child he still was, to have his big brother confirm it for him now. "Yeah, Sonic."

"It'll work out! Always does. We've already won, bud. We're just gonna win _again _before he can even get started!"

"That's a good way to think of it. I just hope nothing goes wrong."

Sonic met Tails's eyes, red light from the Chaos Emerald making his own eyes burn like fire. "_I'm _what's going wrong," he murmured with a grin, "for _Eggman._"

Tails approached him and crossed his arms. "You mean, _we're _what's going wrong."

"Now that's what I like to hear!"

They both started when a noise came from the tunnel. Sonic whirred around, one hand lifting slightly from his side in case he had to protect Tails. The fox came in close to him. "What was that?"

"I dunno," Sonic said in a hushed tone. "Something going wrong, you suppose?"

"Very funny..."

"Come on." Sonic held out the Emerald, that way if someone was there, they would know he was aware of their presence. "Who's there? Come on now, we won't touch ya if you don't touch us."

"Sonic! That _is _you. Thank Chaos."

Sonic and Tails both relaxed as someone just as red as the Chaos Emerald emerged from the crevice. Knuckles stopped before them, looking content at this discovery, but also residing in his indigo eyes was a degree of tension. He was, after all, away from the Master Emerald.

"I wasn't sure what to expect. I got the idea of where you were by using the Master Emerald to pinpoint the signal you were giving off, but wasn't sure if _you _still had it or if it had been taken." Knuckles inclined his head at the gem. "Don't you forget that you can be tracked."

"And don't _you_ forget that the Master Emerald can be stolen," the hedgehog shot back with a smirk. Despite that, he stowed the emerald away in his quills as if that would stow away its telltale signal as well. "What're you doing here?"

Knuckles sighed. "The Chaotix had some news for you, but they didn't know where to find you so they came to me. They… informed me of someone recently reported missing in Station Square. Someone who _wasn't _missing once everyone was freed from Meka Tower. And I think we know her."

1-1-1

Eggman stepped off the scale and watched the digital number fall back to zero. After a moment of consideration, he whirred around and carried himself tiredly back down the hallway of the Egg Carrier 2, making his way to the control room.

"Have I been eating healthier…?"

"Absolutely not," came a mechanical yet not monotone voice from nearby. Eggman lurched, then caught sight of one of his H-series androids as it finished its teleportation into the room. It was a form of Chaos Control that he had built the series with.

"I didn't think so. Who invited you in here, anyway, robot?"

"My name is Davis, not robot."

"Since when?"

The android flickered its bright blue eyes. "One of the prisoners' names that I encountered was Davis. I liked that the humans have names and adopted one for myself. It seems most suitable to me, since you have designated me your assistant, that I have a name."

With the loss of his prisoners and Chaos Emeralds, and the rapid decline of his health, Doctor Eggman had found it in his own best interests to have one android exclusively for his own service. He was weak and unprotected. Should Sonic or G.U.N. take a shot at him, he would need an android that was certain to be around. Or worse, should his health fail, he would – to his dismay – need a helping hand to make his way to a hospital.

In the meantime, he was becoming more tired by the day to even do everyday activities. He _had _managed to put forth some effort into his next plan… but that was mostly because he had to. Not only was it his only scheme at the moment, but it was his only possibility to return to full health.

The fact that he would likely have a huge shot at Sonic in the process was just a fortunate byproduct.

But for _that _to have any success, Eggman had to keep himself protected and able somehow. As such, he had reprogrammed 'Davis' with all the abilities that his most recent series of robots collectively had, including teleportation, hovering, a new shield, and of course housecleaning equipment. For good measure he taught it how to cook as well.

"It so happens, _Davis,_ that I am not in the mood for company."

"Apparently not, since you let thousands of potential comrades free last month."

The doctor grumbled under his breath. "That was all _Sonic's _fault! You think I _wanted_ my prisoners to escape?" He paused. "Not that it matters at this point. This…" He took hold of the excess of his loose outfit and shook it, "is becoming a much bigger battle."

"Becoming a healthy weight?"

"No, you imbecile!" Eggman roared. "I am not _trying _to lose this weight!"

"I realize that," Davis said, snarky joy in his tone. When Eggman glowered at him, he took a step back and emitted a noise like he was clearing his throat. "Apparently you finally do too. It is the Chaos energy that is doing this to you – you must distance yourself from it. You are sick. Even then it might be too late."

"_You _are powered by Chaos energy! This whole fortress is powered by Chaos energy… everything I _have_ is powered by Chaos energy! Even though I no longer have Chaos Emeralds, the Drives I used to store energy before – for Meka Tower – are still everywhere, powering everything. What will become of my projects, my work – my_self_ without it?"

"I think the better question is what will become of you _with _it. That is the problem, Doctor. Your continuous living in the presence of Chaos energy – _negative _Chaos energy, mind you – is saturating you. You are not built to tolerate so much exposure."

"Why can Knuckles, then?"

"You know very well from when you programmed 'Imposter' that Knuckles's ancestors lived near the shrine of the Master Emerald for thousands of years. It's in the guardian's blood. Why do you think your imitation Knuckles life-form did not react so well to being force-fed so much energy? It wasn't in his blood. And likewise, it is not in yours. You are, subtly, doing the same thing to yourself that you did to Imposter – and that you tried to do to Sonic. You are overloading on Chaos energy. Do you want to end up mutilated, no longer in possession of your body or thoughts, like Imposter was? You are killing yourself!"

Eggman did not interrupt, but was pulling down impatiently on one side of his shortened mustache. "I don't know what else I'm supposed to do! Have you any bright ideas?"

"You've captured the healer," Davis said. He was referring to Amber, a young woman Eggman had trapped in the prison before, not far from where Sonic had been. Amber, though not experienced, could use Chaos power too and had a knack for tapping into its healing energy. Knuckles, Sonic, and many others who could use Chaos energy also had the potential to heal, but out of them, Amber was the easiest target. And indeed, the doctor had taken hold of her. "Now you just need a source of energy for her to heal you _with_."

"Who's to say she even will?"

"That's a battle for a different day, Doctor. Why the lack of confidence?"

"Don't you see the irony in this situation, Davis?" Eggman took in a deliberate breath and slowly let it out. "The girl's ability to heal is a _Chaos _ability, just like Chaos Control or Chaos Spear. It is Chaos energy itself that has damaged me so, as you've so continuously reminded me!"

"Chaos energy has neutralized Chaos energy in the past. It is not unreasonable to think it could do so again. It's likely that the reason for your ill health and weakness is not Chaos energy itself – it is the fact that it is _negative _Chaos energy. Think about that word, Master. Negative. That is not the kind of energy you want to associate with your very life force. I am sure it can be countered. It is just a matter of doing it the right way."

"Perhaps you're right," the scientist said. "After all, the only times I have been _away _from Chaos energy were when I was on my way to collect distant Chaos Emeralds… and when Sonic removed me from this fortress to prevent me from posing a further threat to him and his cronies. Do you find it ironic, Davis, that these times are also when I most questioned my forceful actions over the last few months?"

"Not in the slightest. Being away from the energy leaves you with clear thinking in those moments. But now… this energy has changed you, Doctor Eggman. We have had this discussion before… but it seems your memory of such sane moments like these, winds up being swallowed in the darkness that consumes you. If you want to function, if you want to _live_, Master, you must listen to me. Though I am a robot, I can see much more clearly right now than you can. It is your intelligence, untainted by energy, that runs through me."

The sick doctor righted his sunglasses, perfectly concealing eyes that were blood-red with the depth of the twisted energy – eyes that used to be blue. Slowly, he nodded his agreement. "Then tell me what I should do."

1-1-1

"Amber's missing?" Tails looked at Knuckles, concerned. "But where could she be? She was with us just a few weeks ago."

Because of the influx of Chaos energy about the tower due to Eggman's plans, and the resulting discovery that Amber could use that energy to heal, Amber – with Knuckles's assistance – had helped the sick or injured after the tower had been freed. She wasn't perfect at it by any means, but a lot of people's lives were saved because they had been healed enough to hold out for medical help.

That was the last time any of them had seen her, and presumably, she was safe and had gone home after that. However safe she was then, it didn't seem that was the case anymore.

Knuckles shrugged. "I can't imagine where she could have gone. Espio didn't seem to have any idea, either, when I talked to him. Would think he'd know more since he was in the tower with you guys for so long. Sonic, what about you?"

The blue blur shook his head, arms crossed. "None of us really knew that much about her, come to think of it. She was so quiet for the longest time. But I have a feeling she wouldn't just disappear on purpose."

"Why not?" the guardian asked. "Sounds like she's reclusive enough."

Sonic shrugged a little defensively. "Just a hunch."

"Oh please. Don't tell me you're thinking Eggman's up to something again already."

Tails stepped in between them and glared at Knuckles. "Don't you say that! Don't you dare." Golden-yellow ears folded down against the side of his head. "We've made that mistake too many times. We need to _always _be on guard, to prevent another Meka Tower from happening!"

Taken aback, Knuckles glanced over at Sonic to gauge his response. The hedgehog merely shrugged. "He's right."

The guardian flicked a hand. "Then what do you two propose we do?"

"If Eggman has her," Tails said, "we have to find out why, and get her out. But he knows we'd come help her. And Sonic… no matter _what _you think you reconciled before, that madman still hates you." He gulped. "A _lot_. So we need to be careful. We're standing here talking about how we need to be on guard and not let him get that far again. He's probably thinking the same about us. Not only has he caused more harm to us, but we caused more harm to him too, and he probably wants to make sure he's got a path cleared for his ambitions."

Sonic and Knuckles looked at each other solemnly. The latter flicked his gaze toward the glow emitting from Sonic's Chaos Emerald for a brief moment. "Maybe you're right, kid, but that doesn't solve the problem. We can't just go storming in there like we always do."

"Sounds like a better alternative to getting _trapped_ in there, don't ya think?" Sonic asked.

Tails interrupted them again. "Where's 'there,' anyway?"

"I dunno. I imagine the Egg Carrier 2. Where else would he be?"

"On it!"

Sonic blinked. "Wh-what?"

"The radar didn't stop working, you know." Tails smiled up at him. "And you still got a Chaos Emerald that I can power it with! We should be able to explore the inside of the Egg Carrier 2 virtually. Maybe even find if Amber's in there or not. Eggman may be trying to get a step ahead like we are, but he doesn't even know we have this. We'll be able to see exactly what moves we need to make, before we make them!"

"Always knew you were a smart one, kiddo." Sonic grinned and ruffled the fox's bangs. "Knux? You in, bud?"

The guardian glanced toward the tunnel, as if to check on a Master Emerald he couldn't see. "I'm already here. I suppose it can't hurt to take a look with you guys. After all, I need to be in the know about what that madman is up to from now on."

Knuckles had come to the realization just weeks ago that guarding the Master Emerald was about a lot more than merely guarding the Master Emerald. It wasn't just about keeping it well-protected; it was just as much about keeping the _world_ protected from its potential – potential that had become all the more deadly in their last battle. Essentially, his duty was a smaller but significant part of the bigger picture Sonic always fought for: keeping people safe and free.

As if Sonic was reading his mind, he asked, "What about the Master Emerald?"

"I would like to lock it away in this very place again," the echidna answered. "Maybe your password door isn't perfect, but it's better than nothing. It's been repaired since Eggman got through before, hasn't it?"

"Yes," Tails said instantly. "It's much more fortified now."

"All right. If it can be kept safe here, I see no reason why I shouldn't stick around to help."

"Then it's settled!" Sonic said. "We're all together, we got a place for your pet rock – I don't see why we shouldn't take care of the ol' doc's fort today!"

Knuckles grinned a little. "For once, hedgehog, I'm on the same page as you… except for the pet rock thing. The sooner we take care of this, the better the chances are that the Master Emerald will remain safe. Not to mention… us."

There was a certain degree of truth to that somber statement that had never quite hit so heavily before. Eggman had changed. He had proven just how much of an impact he could have on _anyone _who dared to deflect his goals, and none of them wanted him to get that chance again.

"I'll feel better with you coming along, Knuckles," Tails admitted quietly. "I like when you join us. Maybe, since we have this little area to put the Master Emerald, you could continue to help us out whenever trouble comes around? I mean, not all the time, but just…"

"I hear you, I hear you." Knuckles said. "I can't make any promises, but that's not to say it's impossible. After all, the main idea of me guarding the Master Emerald is to protect people. Protect people from those who would use its power wrongly, like Eggman. So, if there's something I can do to _further _protect people while the Master Emerald lies safe here, I don't see why that shouldn't be part of my duty as well."

Sonic rolled his eyes. "Duty, schmuty. I mean, come on, Knux. Wouldn't you wanna help out anyway? We always have a good time, don't we?"

Though it was left unspoken, the answer _'Not always' _seemed to linger in the air as if it had been. They all knew it, but the other two followed Sonic's lead in focusing on the good instead of the bad. They had to.

"Not to mention, it's good to help people!" Tails added. "Not because you have to, but because you want to! Right?"

"That's right, bud."

"Well then, let's stop _talking _about it and actually do something, shall we?" Knuckles gestured to the tunnel. Sonic nodded and they started on their way.

"Sounds good to me. Knuckles, you take the Master Emerald here, and then meet us at Tails's place. We should have the radar going smooth by the time ya get there, and then we can figure out just what we need to do."

When they came out the other end of the tunnel a few minutes later, venturing through the forest and the overcast white of the day, none of them knew they were taking the first steps toward a very different kind of battle… one that was not broad and encompassing, but narrow, intimate, and personal.

1-1-1

Right then, here we are! Figured I'd save the rambling for after, so, here we go: Red Mirror takes place a few weeks or so after Survivor's Resolve. (It's not quite a sequel, however; it much shorter than SR.) That being said, knowing _that_ story will naturally help provide a deeper context for this one, but this one can be read as a standalone all the same, because most things that wouldn't make sense are briefly explained. And too, most of them were right here in this chapter – so if you got this far, you'll probably be fine for the rest of it.

Just in case, though… what came before: Eggman trapped a bunch of people in a tower base (Sonic and Knuckles included), planning to bend them to his will with Chaos energy, but Sonic and co. managed to free the tower before that could happen. Eggman _did _succeed at his goal with one minion though; an echidna life-form widely called Imposter, which he created the same way his grandfather created Shadow. This didn't work out so well and Imposter went rampant on Chaos energy, so the others had to stop him.

Folks who read Survivor's Resolve will know that there was a _hell _of a lot more to it than that, but that's the simple version. :) Any unfamiliar names you happen across in this story are just people (or chao) that were trapped in the tower in SR, whom Sonic befriended. Most of them will be minor characters in this story, with the main focus being on Sonic, Eggman, Tails, and Knuckles.

I haven't posted in several months now, but it's great to be back to doing that. Kinda like ending a long vacation, you know? The vacation is a welcome break but then at the end you're happy to be going home again. :)

As I said, this story is smaller, but more intense for it. Once the plot gets going, it keeps going, and forgoes the slow parts. And lots of character development, as I always try to do. I think it's gonna be pretty cool. Feel free to add to your alerts for notifications of further chapters. And let me know what you think if you want to, yeah? Hope you guys like it. :)

Until next time!


	2. Chapter 2: Tantrum

Hey guys! Nice to see so many on board already! Also nice to see the influx of support for SR's Lucas. Thanks for the reviews and PMs! The answer to those queries is yes, he will play a part in this story; not as much as SR, but a fair part nonetheless. Most of this will be seen later in the story though – not quite as much the first few chapters. As always, while my OCs have something of a role of their own, their main purpose is to provide foundation and character development opportunities for the mains.

This chapter is probably one of the slower ones action-wise, but once you read it, hopefully 'slower' still sets a reasonably high standard. Lots of important stuff here.

Just a bit of info for ya here, for whatever reason I've always adapted Sonic X's portrayal of Chaos Emeralds more than any others, despite most of my stories being set in the whereabouts of the game universe. As in, Chaos Emeralds are attracted to each other, and their energies can interfere with each other sometimes. This has been present in my stories before, but I'm just pointing it out again now because it's kinda relevant for this chapter.

Enjoy!

Chapter 2: Tantrum

When Knuckles arrived at Tails's workshop, the door was slightly open, indicating invitation. He knocked twice to let them know of his arrival, then gently pushed it open and strode in.

Sonic and Tails were sitting next to each other on the sofa as expected, the former with his legs crossed on the coffee table. Tails, on the middle cushion, was poking away at the radar. The room about them was cozy and bright, and was decorated in a homely fashion that showed off an older soul than the age Tails actually was. Knuckles liked the kid's place – the walls were the color of a clear sky and it had a vibe of simplicity about it, despite the random bits of technology lying about on the table and counters.

The guardian went around the couch to stand behind the pair instead of sitting on the cushion reserved for him, wanting to see what Tails was looking at.

"I'm not finding what I was expecting to find," Tails said like he was responding to a question, even though the other two were remaining silent in their curiosity. "I've got the Egg Carrier 2 pinned down here, but… it's not even airborne. It's on the ground right where I landed it during the battle, as if Eggman just abandoned it or something."

"He'd want you to think that," Knuckles said.

"True, but it's still weird. It's right where we left it and we could get to it so easily. If he's really the reason Amber's turned up missing… I wouldn't expect him to remain so conspicuous. I mean, I know he's not exactly subtle anyway, but to just leave such a big resource sitting out in the middle of nowhere like that? That's weird for him. Even if it _is _some kind of scheme."

"Yeah," Sonic said. "After all, he got a lot further being _in_conspicuous, like he was with Meka Tower. You'd think he'd try taking that route a couple more times."

"Meka Tower… Sonic, you don't suppose…?"

They all went quiet. Meka Tower was _meant _for holding people captive. If Eggman indeed had Amber, then…

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves," Knuckles said, not looking too thrilled about the prospect of exploring the nightmarish prison again. Sonic, still sitting with his legs crossed, was frowning down at nothing like he was in thought. Beyond that, his expression was unreadable. Tails didn't say anything for a minute, feeling shy for having suggested the dark tower to the two people who had been trapped in it.

"Okay, let me keep exploring the Carrier, then. There's got to be some indicator there. If there's no Amber, then at least maybe we can find out if Eggman might be up to anything…"

They all watched as three-dimensional designs formed on the screen, showing the inside of the fortress. As Tails dragged his finger down the display to show them further inside, the machine strained to load images beyond the draw distance.

"The last time I used this to look at the inside of this place was when I had three Chaos Emeralds," the fox said, gesturing to the red gem hooked up to the radar, "so it's not going to work as smoothly now that we only have one. I'm just gonna get it right to the control room and not waste too much of its energy here."

The other two waited in silence. But before their virtual tour got to the control room, the Chaos Emerald emitted sparks of light and the screen went fuzzy. Tails suddenly shrieked and threw the device out of his lap, backing further into the couch.

Sonic reflexively leaned down and caught it before it hit the ground, then made a startled noise himself and let it clatter on the table.

"It shocked me!" Tails said, looking appropriately shocked.

"Same here." Sonic looked at him. "You all right?"

"Yeah… I think so. I just don't know why it did that." He paused and rubbed his hand. "You?"

"I'm good. Just had to set it down. That's _weird!_"

"Something inside the fortress is interfering dangerously with that Chaos Emerald, you two," Knuckles said. "I can feel it from here." The guardian went around and sat next to them, reaching for the radar. The Chaos Emerald was glowing angrily, its light reflected in the glass table.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you, Knux," Sonic warned, just in case the reactions of himself and Tails weren't enough to indicate that. Knuckles went ahead anyway, picking it up with one hand and cupping the attached Chaos Emerald directly with the other. Sonic and Tails both watched him but he showed no signs of having felt what they felt.

"Okay, color me confused."

The echidna glanced over at Sonic. "Guardians have to be able to know how to handle Chaos-related trouble."

"So, you do feel that?"

"No. I'm controlling the energy so it doesn't shock me."

"Why was it shocking us, though?" Tails asked.

"There is a profound amount of negative energy emanating from somewhere near the area we had just been exploring. If we were there physically, the Chaos Emerald might have adapted to the surrounding atmosphere appropriately as we got closer. But since we're exploring virtually, it picked up on the force of the energy very suddenly, and you two reflected that effect."

"Should it be okay to touch now?"

Knuckles's face twisted in thought. "I… don't know. I don't think it will adapt to something that's not physically here. If Chaos Emeralds could think, I imagine this one would be very confused right now. Through the radar, it's 'aware' of the presence of that cluster of negative energy, but it's not actually 'feeling' it. We should be careful with this kind of exploration." The echidna glanced down at the radar. It was now showing the hallway leading to the control room again, but was frozen there. "I don't know how to get this to keep exploring, like you were doing, Tails. Technology's not exactly my thing."

The fox cast a wary glance at the device. "I'll need to type in a few things first, but… I mean, I can try again."

"Wait," Sonic said predictably, and they both rolled their eyes in his general direction, neither surprised by his hesitance at letting Tails touch the object. "…Are you sure?"

"I hate to say it," the guardian said, "but we need to figure out what's giving off that kind of energy. The way this Chaos Emerald is acting is alarming, even to me." Knuckles met Sonic's eyes, a slight grin pulling up at one corner of his mouth. "Why, do _you _know how to work this thing?"

"Hey, I've been hanging out with this kid for years and I have a plane. I must have some knack for this stuff by now." Sonic grinned and said what they both knew he was going to say. "Why don't you let me work with it, Tails?"

"No Sonic. I'll do it. This is one thing I'll be able to do faster than you, and I don't want it to hurt you, either."

"Actually," Knuckles interrupted again with a tone of sudden realization, "Sonic here might have the best of both worlds. I bet you could control that Emerald too, if you tried."

Sonic uncrossed his legs and stood up, approaching the echidna and eyeing the radar. "Yeah?"

"You've got a lot of experience. Not as much as me, but enough, I imagine. Essentially, you just have to do the same thing you would if you were about to draw on its power – without actually drawing on it. And after that, you have to keep a steady focus. That part's almost second nature to me, but… it might be kinda hard for you."

Sonic made to give him a look, but found that the echidna was being sincere, not insulting – Knuckles really was concerned for his well-being.

"I can only control how it responds to me," the echidna explained further. "Soon as you touch it, you'll be exposed to its energy, too. I'll hold onto it until you know you can take it, that way if it doesn't work, you can let go and not worry about dropping it."

Sonic just nodded, and without thinking too much he reached out for the thing, focusing on manipulating the energy for no longer than it took for his hand to finish its journey and grasp it.

The gem practically sizzled as Sonic's hand closed around the radar. Sparks emitted from it and swirled madly around his wrist. Tails jumped, in anxious sympathy more than anything, as if it was happening to him. But Sonic didn't react nor let go. He watched the sparks passively, like he was surprised they were there.

"You good?" Knuckles asked.

The blue blur lifted his gaze to meet Knuckles's eyes and nodded. "Don't let go quite yet, though. Let me take it from you."

"Is it shocking you, Sonic?" Tails asked, visibly worried.

He shook his head. "No. Knuckles was right! I just wanna make sure is all." Moving in closer, he took hold of the Chaos Emerald with his other hand, and slowly lifted the device from Knuckles's hands. "Okay. Okay, got it. Now let's make this nice and quick, yeah?"

"Makes a person nervous, eh?" Knuckles said. He put a hand on Sonic's shoulder. "Sit back down and let me know if I need to take it. Just try not to throw it across the room or anything, okay?"

Sonic listened, and Tails quickly sat next to him, though he didn't get too close. "Okay, Sonic," the fox said. "If you hit that button in the corner of the screen, it'll pull up a keyboard. There – now put in the same password that the cave's door has. Right, perfect. Now you'll need to drag two fingers down the screen – not so fast – yeah, like that. Good thing you're doing this; Knuckles' hands are probably too big for it!"

Knuckles grunted and shrugged. He was leaning over the armrest, staying very close to Sonic, but so far the hedgehog was working efficiently with the device. His silence, though, was enough to let Knuckles know that he was very focused and that wasn't something they wanted to break lest they start over again – not to mention hurt Sonic.

"There you go, Sonic," Tails said quietly, watching the screen venture closer and closer to the control room. "Each time you do that it'll pull us a little further down the hallway. Now if we want to look around us, we have to turn the screen physically, as if we're looking at this area and the screen itself is the lens. Can you do that?"

"Sure thing." Sonic lifted the device and turned it slightly to the left. The visual turned left too, showing the side of the hallway. "This thing's kinda neat," he said idly.

To the left, just before the entrance to the control room, was another small path that they hadn't realized was there – only by chance had they turned at that precise spot. Sonic set the radar back in his lap and slowly pulled the hallway closer, venturing down it. It led to what looked very much like a bedroom. It made sense when he thought about it – Eggman's first Egg Carrier had had such things like bedrooms, game rooms, and pools. He designed his fortresses and bases to be like homes.

"Sonic," Knuckles said, "I'm not trying to alarm you but I can sense we're getting closer to the source of that energy. You need to be very careful – I wouldn't put it beyond that Chaos Emerald to cause damage at this point, if we lose control…"

"I can feel it too."

Tails, next to him, almost reached over to put a hand on Sonic's – the one that was surrounded by the Chaos Emerald's sparking energy. He rethought it at the last second, not wanting to distract Sonic, or hurt himself. Instead, he swallowed and asked once again, "Is it hurting you?"

"Not yet," Sonic replied, though his tone was slightly less certain than last time and he was holding the machine tighter, arms rigid.

"Are you telling the truth?"

"Wouldn't lie to ya, bud. It's just getting a little harder to control the energy. Keep quiet for a sec, okay?"

Tails nodded.

The draw distance worsened and after a few more seconds the radar could barely show beyond a few meters. Sonic dragged his fingers towards him on the screen, venturing further. Every once in a while he impatiently pushed them forward instead, making the visual shift back to where it had been to let it finish loading. They saw a king-sized bed, walls decorated with various Eggman-ish designs, and binders full of who knew what kinds of past and present plans. There was a blueprint or three, as well, by the look of it. The room was cluttered and had a slightly red tint, which seemed to be the doctor's favorite color.

It phased in and out, going fuzzy and coming back again. Knuckles leaned closer.

"Sonic, give it here. You're pushing it."

"Wait, I've got this. A little credit, willya?"

"Stubborn…"

"Don't worry, I can feel it and I know what you're talking about. We're getting real close to whatever is causing the disturbance, but I think I'll know if I'm not gonna be able to keep my grip on it."

"You _think _you'll know?"

Sonic didn't respond, and with quiet curiosity and conviction, dragged the screen the equivalent of a few steps further into the room, letting things at the far end come into focus. Then, slowly, he turned the screen…

Tails gasped. Knuckles flinched to reach for the device. Sonic gave a visual shudder and closed his eyes, his grip on the radar unyielding. The screen went fuzzy again.

On it had been a sickly thin Doctor Eggman, the skin of his face hanging in flaps, glasses off and bloodshot eyes a horrific shade of red – but that wasn't all they had reacted to. There was someone else in the room too – someone else who also didn't look the way they were supposed to – and it wasn't Amber.

"Sonic… here…" the echidna breathed in disbelief, eyes locked, hands reaching for the radar. Sparks flew everywhere from the Chaos Emerald and from Sonic's hand's touching the radar, like they were coming out of a blood-red bonfire. Sonic clutched the device tighter in child-like refusal. Knuckles gritted his teeth, tension escalating. "Don't be stupid, hedgehog! Give it to me, _now!_"

Sonic groaned defiantly. "I'm not being stupid, I just don't want to have to do this again!"

"You don't have to," Tails said immediately, "we could find another way! We could…"

"Stop that. I can do this!"

Tails and Knuckles looked at each other and went quiet. What could they do? The more they argued, the more they distracted him. Whether Sonic was being stupid or not, trying to convince him would only make things worse. The hedgehog had made himself clear.

Neither of them could tell if he was actually in pain, or if the gem was affecting him in any other way. Even Knuckles was beyond being able to guess. He knew Chaos energy well and knew just how dangerous and dark of a force they were nearing – what he didn't, and couldn't, know was what was going on inside Sonic's mind as he tried to keep it under control. Only Sonic knew that.

As if to answer what they were both wondering, Sonic opened his eyes again. "I'm okay," he said patiently, knowingly. "I promise. I've dealt with dark energy before and I know what it's supposed to feel like when you're holding it back like this. Eggman got that Chaos Drive into my system when I was trapped in Meka Tower before – that was dark energy and I resisted it then."

"I can appreciate that," Knuckles said, "but this is a little different. You're not feeling dark energy, it's not going to actually penetrate. All you're actually holding back is this Chaos Emerald's spastic reaction to what the radar is detecting. It wouldn't change you like that would have – it'll only hurt you, like it did to you and Tails earlier except more dangerous."

"You guys worry too much. I'll live! It's not gonna come to that anyway."

"Good, because you're a hell of a lot closer to the source now than you were a few minutes ago. You're in dangerous territory, Sonic, and that Emerald wants to go crazy."

"All right, all right! Easy…" Sonic murmured, partly to them, partly to himself, and perhaps partly to the gem as it continued sparking sporadically. "I need to see what just happened. I'm stronger than one puny Chaos Emerald."

They watched as the view came into clear focus once again. It confirmed what they had seen.

Eggman, looking sick and disturbed, was at the far side of the room in a chair, head in his hands now. In a cage on the floor nearby was a dark chao. He was almost-black and had light green tips on the end of his two draping spikes. Long wings sagged down against his back.

Kai.

The chao had been dark since they had known him. But now his eyes were in a frown, his skin blacker still, and his dark features more pronounced than they had ever been. He had all the dark chao characteristics and no hint of benevolence or joy about him. He was different.

Sonic's heart dove into his stomach. For a moment he forgot what he was doing. The heat of the Chaos Emerald startled him back into focusing just before things got bad.

Kai. Kai was with Eggman again, like he had been before Sonic had convinced him to join their side. And he was fully a dark chao. Sonic had always hoped… that even though chao were malleable, Kai wouldn't change his mind ever again. But after everything that had happened – dark? Kai was truly dark, not just outside but inside too?

Knowledge from long ago crept into his mind. He had been told that the reason Eggman had captured chao to begin with was because chao could find _people _for Eggman to capture for his Meka Tower plot, without being conspicuous. Chao looked so innocent, after all.

"But… but how?" Tails asked. "Kai was supposed to be with Lucas!"

Lucas had been trapped inside the tower near Sonic and Amber. He and Kai had hated each other at first, but had ultimately become comrades.

"And Amber was supposed to be home with her family," Knuckles said. "Eggman's schemes don't tend to align themselves with 'supposed to.'"

"The dark energy is coming from them…" Sonic's voice was hollow. "I have to believe… I have to believe that Kai is only dark because he didn't have a choice. Because he is _surrounded _by dark energy, surrounded by that… that _freak_. Kai… Kai's on our side! He was supposed to be on our side…"

Sonic trailed off, eyes locked with those of Kai in the cage, trying to see what was inside that little chao's mind. But Kai was just sitting there completely still, eyes holding a bitter, thousand-yard stare.

The Chaos Emerald hissed and spat and the screen flashed on and off. "Sonic," Knuckles warned once again, "we found out. Give it here now, before you hurt yourself. We're done."

Sonic's grip remained frozen as he stared into the screen, as if he was waiting for Kai to see him and wave and smile and tackle him…

"Sonic…"

That chao was his friend. He and Kai had saved each other's lives, in just about every way. For all that to suddenly not matter anymore, for that chao to have been manipulated to be on Eggman's side at the last second…

He knew chao were easily manipulated, but he had thought Kai was different. He had thought Kai was _his_.

"Sonic, you're losing it." The voice this time was Tails's. "Please give it to Knuckles! You don't know what it could do at this point, and you're not going to be able to control it…!"

Kai… not Kai…

Knuckles put a hand on Sonic's shoulder firmly. "Let me take it, hedgehog." He reached for the device and tried to wedge it out of the blue blur's locked grasp. At first Sonic clung to it, still staring into the field of static on the screen, ears perking up when it gave way and let him see Kai again. But after a long, tense moment, his hands opened and he released the radar all at once. Knuckles found the power button and turned it off. The Chaos Emerald's tantrum settled immediately.

"We need to go in there," Sonic said hoarsely. "I don't care if he's dark. It didn't change him when he was young, it doesn't have to change him now. I don't even care if it has. I don't care if he's on Eggman's side. That chao is my pal and I'll get him out of that darkness – just like he did for me."

Tails inched closer and wrapped his arms around his older brother. "I'm sorry, Sonic."

Sonic looked down at him. "We'll – we'll work this out. We always do."

"What of Amber?" Knuckles asked.

They were all silent a moment. Then Tails took the radar, turned it back on, and set its location to Meka Tower. That place, too, was full of residual dark energy – but not nearly as much as had been confined to that single location of Eggman himself. It did not cause the Chaos Emerald to react, and because he had explored Meka Tower with the radar many times before, it was easy to make his way through the areas he knew.

Mere moments passed before the radar detected the presence of someone on the uppermost level – not the top floor of the prison itself that Sonic had been on, but the storage area just above it. Sonic and Espio had fought thousands of robots there. There was no evidence of the battle now, and the place was organized once again.

In the midst of a few hundred inactive androids, there were a few that had been activated in order to take care of the captive that Eggman was holding there. The captive they had all known he had. Finally on the screen before them was Amber.

1-1-1

And there ya have it for chapter 2! Not much to say this time around. Opinions welcome! See you next time.


	3. Chapter 3: This Machine

Aaand we're back! Finally. You can thank Sonic Lost World for this update – that game has me incredibly hyped. Seeing as how I won't be able to get it for a few months, I decided to spoil the story for myself, lest someone else spoil it for me and dampen the effect. For whatever this is worth… _it's good_. Starts off decent enough, then works its way up to greatness. I didn't even have to convince myself to like it, like I did with Colors and Generations. Of course, for the sake of keeping spoilers unspoiled, I'll leave it at that. ;)

Anyway, I plan on updating this gem more regularly from now on! Hope I haven't lost ya guys. At least we're only a few chapters in so it's easy enough to refresh your memory if needed. ;) This kinda delay shouldn't happen again! If ya need a quick refresher: Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles found out that Eggman's dark condition has gotten worse, the doc has Kai once again, and Amber is trapped at the top of Meka Tower for reasons unknown to the team yet.

This story'll get where it's going a LOT faster than SR did, so hang in there! There's some pretty big moments in a few chapters, of both the good and bad variety. And once this story gets rolling it doesn't really stop. ;) Lotsa action and development and all that stuff.

Enjoy the random game references, heh. Here we go!

1-1-1

Chapter 3: This Machine

Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles sat on the sofa, formulating a plan through their own various degrees of shock.

They had two friends to save, and a mad scientist to stop. At face-value it all sounded easy enough. Just another day, right? But there was so much more to it than that.

They would go to Meka Tower first and save Amber. Since Eggman wasn't there, it would be easier. They would save the harder battle for last. If they stormed into the Egg Carrier 2 and confronted Eggman directly, and if complications arose from that, Amber would remain trapped in Meka Tower for who knew how long. Besides, they needed to find out from her why the madman had trapped her at _all_. So it made sense to get her to safety before anything else.

There was no easy way to choose which innocent victim to rescue first. But this way, if nothing else, bettered their chances even if only a little.

For all they knew, rescuing Kai might lead to its own separate battle. Regardless of how he had gotten that way, whether he had chosen, or been forced by the dark energy in the atmosphere, he was still under that influence. For all intents and purposes, Kai truly was a dark chao.

"Something must be done about Eggman," Knuckles said. "That's the _main _thing here. It's not just about saving those two. Eggman is even more dangerous now than he was before, and I'm not sure if it can be reversed. The energy has mutilated him from the inside. " Knuckles paused heavily, and what he said next sounded just like something that would come out of the mouth of a Master Emerald guardian. "We… we cannot allow his existence to continue to threaten Chaos energy, and the world, the way it has. Or the way it will."

Sonic gulped. "Are you saying…"

"I don't know yet, Sonic. I don't know. All I know – and you know it too – is that Eggman is no longer who he was."

"I know all right." He met Knuckles's eyes. "He hasn't been for… a while. But we gotta save Amber and Kai first. After all we've been through with them… I gotta help them, Knux."

The guardian pondered this for a tense moment. Then, quietly; "I agree. We'll help them first, and learn what we can about Eggman in the process. They might even be able to help us. We should get Lucas in on this, too. Since he was trapped on the same floor as you, Sonic, he might know enough to help us. You suppose?"

"Yeah! Let's contact him – he'll wanna come with us."

"This has to happen soon," Tails said, ears folded down. "Real soon. I don't like this. I don't like that they're stuck again and I don't like the way that creep looked… this is wrong."

"Then let's go!" Tails and Knuckles both looked up at Sonic, seeing an unexpected grin on his face to match the energetic tone. "We can save 'em. And I know Eggface is real unpredictable now, but heck, we've dealt with that before too. We can do it again!"

There was no reason to argue against his words or even his optimism. It was all true enough… and no matter how scary or unsettling this situation was, there was always a chance that it could work out all right. There was always hope. It would only be a detriment to them to let the situation discourage them so soon.

1-1-1

The Tornado landed inside the fence protecting Meka Tower. Its engine whirred to a gradual stop and Tails began to climb out. Lucas, in the passenger seat, climbed out too. Sonic and Knuckles hopped down from the wings of the plane and landed in the sand simultaneously. It was covered by a thin layer of frost and the temperature was cooler than they had ever felt it in this area.

All of them walked around to the front of the plane and stood with each other, contemplating the massive, uncomfortably familiar tower before them. This time, no missiles shot out from the tower's defenses, and no androids attacked them.

The circular, dark building spiraled its way to the top, the ramp equivalent to several dozen floors, and from there a pillar ascended which held an emblem of Eggman's face. The words across the mustache, 'Meka Tower,' were dimmed and indicating a lack of activity about the place.

They knew better than to believe such a ruse.

Lucas looked down at Sonic. Specks of snow dotted his very dark hair. "We ought to make this the last time we ever have to go back into this place."

"No kidding. Every time we have to go back in here, I have that thought."

Neither of them knew that this truly would be their last endeavor associated with the dark tower – for reasons no one expected.

"It almost seems backwards," Tails said, looking at the group. "You guys have had to be in there so much. It seems like _I _should go in there this time, just to let you guys have a break!"

"No can do, buddy," Sonic said. "I don't want ya in there. Besides, I know the place better anyway."

"But Sonic… after everything? You're gonna tell me I can't do something?"

"It's not that, bro." Sonic smiled at him. "It's that I'm the one who's gonna be able to get in and out of there the fastest."

"Then why are _any _of us here with you?" Lucas remarked. "Don't get it in your head that you're doing this alone. If you're going in there, I am too."

"No offense, but you guys will only slow me down. We are all gonna need to work together when it comes to the Egg Carrier 2, but this… this is a one person job!"

Knuckles crossed his arms. "I thought you were planning on appreciating your friends a little more after what happened."

"Yeah," Lucas said, "what happened to the camaraderie like in Meka Tower?"

Sonic groaned and his ears fell flat. "Take it easy, guys. I promise ya I'm not trying to take on all this on my own, okay? I really just think this is the best way to start. Meka Tower's a long way up, and Amber's at the very top. If I can hurry up there and get her out, we'll be less likely to be noticed. The best thing anyone else can do is _be here_ in case I need help for some reason. If I was really trying to be stubborn about this, I'm fast enough that I could've just run here ahead of you guys and tried to save her!"

Lucas and Knuckles looked at each other while Tails looked at Sonic. Tails spoke first. "I believe you, Sonic. You usually know what you're doing. You _are _the fastest, and in this case speed is just what we're after. Sooner we do this, the sooner we can infiltrate the Egg Carrier 2. So if the best thing we can do for now is wait out here, then we'll do that. Right guys?"

They all watched him in momentary silence, and then voiced their agreements in a simultaneous mumble. Then, leaving the Tornado where it was parked, they walked up the ramp leading into the building. It was open, as it had been left.

"Tails," Sonic said, "I'll need ya to keep an eye on me through the radar. Knuckles and Lucas… I'm hoping I won't need you two at all."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Knuckles asked.

"If anything goes wrong…" He let the sentence trail off. "Lucas is familiar enough with the area I'll be in. And Knuckles, you're the strongest of all of us. So if I can't figure this out for whatever reason, it's you guys who'll have to take over."

"_Hurry_, Sonic," Tails said. "None of us want you in there any longer than you have to be. If you need anything from any of us, just ask."

Sonic nodded and walked the rest of the way on the ramp, not wanting to slip on the frost on his way in.

As soon as he was beyond the opening's frame, the door began to slide shut from the top down. Knuckles reacted as if he'd been prepared to, launching himself under it before it closed and bracing it with his hands.

"_Knuckles!_" Tails shrieked as the heavy door continued to push down. "No, no! Sonic, get back out here, now!"

Lucas was already at the top, too, and wedged himself under the heavy door. Knuckles gave him a warning glare, eyes dilated with effort and adrenaline. "What are you doing!" he demanded. "You're not a quarter as strong as I am, Lucas! It'll crush you!"

"If you're saying that while you're trying to hold it, you must think it'll crush you too," the human pointed out, putting his shoulder underneath the descending barrier. "I don't need to be as strong as you. I just need to…" Grunting, he gave an upward push, "put a little more strength behind it than you already are…"

To both of their amazement, the door couldn't make it down any further – though its mechanism was still trying to close, the force they were putting against it was enough to keep it in place.

"Sonic – do what you do!"

The hedgehog gave them a stunned blink, scared for them and, he realized, suddenly scared for himself as they struggled beneath the heavy door. "You'll hold it up?"

Lucas managed to nod, meeting Sonic's eyes. "We're not letting you get stuck in there again."

Sonic looked between the two of them one last time, then his apprehension gave way to trust and he grinned. "Hang in there. I'll be back!"

Then he darted up the spiral ramp, taking it at hundreds of miles per hour, hands thrown out behind him.

It only took a few minutes. His speed was more than enough to make up for the large distance, but was entirely uphill and had him tired by the time he got to the top. Meka Tower was already huge but seemed even larger when he had to run the whole thing all at once.

Despite that, it was only a small part of reaching their goal. He still had no idea how to get to Amber. It made no difference that she was so close – perhaps right above him.

He lifted his communicator and spoke into it. "I might as well just be killing time," he said. "I'm at the top of the prison area but I have no idea how to get higher. The only time I've ever been up there was when Espio and I fought that army of robots there before. And somehow I don't think I'll be able to get up there the way we did then…"

Last time, one of Eggman's androids had opened the hatch door. Now, of course, there were no robots to be found.

"Yeah, I guess we didn't think of that," came Tails's reply. "One second, Sonic… let me get the radar going again. Maybe I can find a way."

Sonic nodded even though he couldn't be seen and let his hand drop to his side. Not too thrilled about the 'one second' part, he started walking again, idly exploring the place even though he already knew it so well. He was on what was for all intents and purposes, the top floor. The very same place he and Lucas had been trapped for almost three months. It looked just a little different than he remembered it. Places tended to emit a different vibe when circumstances changed enough.

The hallway was wide and low. It was just light enough in the area for him to make out the design on the ceiling; continuous logos of the Eggman Empire. Normally the logos were lit, offering a dim purple hue to the place. But there was no reason for them to be lit now.

At least, that's what he was supposed to think.

The empty, abandoned feel of the place was doing a good job trying to convince him otherwise, but he knew there was more going on here than he could see. As of late, Eggman had kept his plans a lot more inconspicuous. Sonic understood that, for as many times as the mad scientist had been defeated. What he didn't understand was why the doctor had taken Amber of all people.

Why not himself? Even Tails or Knuckles, for that matter…? What was the doctor after?

"Hey Sonic… Maybe we should have figured this out before letting you go in there. I can't seem to find another way up."

Sonic sighed. They had only one means of getting high enough to reach the hatch on the ceiling… but Sonic wasn't about to suggest having his two-tailed friend come to the top of the tower. Besides, Sonic wouldn't need to be taken higher, if he could _teleport_ there instead.

"I mean… I know how to use Chaos Control. Maybe I could…"

"Sonic, no. I should have known you would suggest something like that. You've only done it once, and you weren't even meant to be able to do it. Meka Tower still has residual Chaos energy from before. You don't know how that could interfere."

"I'm sure the ARK was laced with Chaos energy too – maybe that's what helped me do it!" Sonic said as he thought of it. "Listen, we've had to do a lot of things that we didn't know the consequences of, buddy. If this is the only way, then we have to give it a try. Besides, you said yourself there's not as much of a concentration of energy here as in the Egg Carrier 2. I'm sure I can pull it off!"

"Sonic…"

It wasn't lost on Sonic that he was being hypocritical. He wasn't afraid to make an impulsive move himself, but he was afraid to suggest the only other alternative: letting Tails come in and fly him.

He was being quietly unfair, and he knew it, even if only because he cared about the fox. Tails had had to worry about him so much before, yet Sonic wasn't willing to let Tails in a situation that would cause _him _worry. He loved his brother; that was why he worried.

Tails loved him too, and was showing it with faith rather than fear.

But still, it would be so easy. Two words, a bit of focus, and Sonic could be where he needed to be in the blink of an eye. Everything would be fine. It would be so much faster and simpler for everyone.

"I'll check in in thirty seconds, okay?"

"_Wait_." Tails's voice was anxious and exasperated. ""You can't get all excited yet, Sonic! Let me give it another look. We're not gonna have all this beat in five minutes, you know." When Sonic didn't respond immediately, he added: "Please."

"All right, all right. I'll look around from in here too. Let me know if you find anything, yeah? How are Knuckles and Lucas doing, by the way?"

"They're holding up, but I gotta imagine they're kind of tired."

"All the more reason to use Chaos Control," Sonic grumbled, but let the subject drop – along with the hand that had the communicator on – and continued on his way.

Bored and a little tense, Sonic took out his red Chaos Emerald and used it to look into the cells he passed, seeing if any of them were any different from each other. They weren't, which only added to the dullness. 'Meka Tower' and 'dull' were not two words he would expect to find himself putting together, all things considering, but it was undeniably boring without anyone to talk to or any robots to destroy.

He sighed, very much looking forward to infiltrating the Egg Carrier 2.

He continued trotting briskly and looking around. After a few minutes, to his surprise, he did come across a cell that looked just a little bit different than the rest. It had its own special lock, and there was a rectangular section on the back wall. It was his. He almost hadn't recognized it. The place really _did _look different with no one in it, and most of the lights off…

It lacked spirit, too. The atmosphere up on the top floor had been incredibly spirited most of the time, and Sonic remembered it that way. He didn't see the whole thing as grim and horrid. There were moments like that, of course, but moments didn't constitute entirety. He wondered if he was the only one who remembered it that way, and at first he thought he probably was, then thought of Lucas and some of the other people he had seen and thought that maybe he wasn't.

"Tails?" he said quietly into the communicator.

"Hey Sonic. Good timing, I was just gonna say something. There's an area you might be able to use to get higher up. In between Meka Tower's walls is this… path of sorts, that Eggman must've used to get around behind-the-scenes, or something. It also houses a lot of the mechanics that kept this place going – the scanner network he had used, the mechanism that lets the cell gates open and close, and the fortification that kept the outer walls from being penetrated… among other high-tech stuff. But I think, if you are careful, you could work your way through there and use it to get to the storage area above the floor you're on."

"Great!" Sonic said, needing no further explanation than he was given. "So how do I get there?"

"That's the thing…" Tails said, a little quieter now. "I can't see a way to get back there. And that doesn't make any sense because if you can't get back there, then how could Eggman use it to get anywhere? There has to be a way somewhere…"

"Wait a sec." Sonic stopped walking. "Are you sure Eggman himself used it?"

There was a pause on the other end before Tails spoke. "Well, I guess not… but who else could have?"

"The androids. Eggman's H-series." Sonic looked around as if expecting to see one of them. "They could use Chaos control, remember? So they would have no need for way in or out - they could just teleport back there if they needed to fix a mechanical problem or whatever."

They were both silent for a few moments, considering how to get into an area that had no entrance. Sonic crossed his arms, eyebrows furling downward as his gaze fixated on that old cell of his.

The Chaos-infused panel built into the back wall had struck him as mildly peculiar once upon a time, but he had learned what it was – a device meant to keep the him from being able to escape should his cell be opened for any reason. Eggman had pulled out all the stops to keep Sonic trapped and rendered useless.

The panel could also move. It was supposed to be adjusted mechanically, but surely with a little persuasion, it could be removed from their path physically, as well...

Sonic blinked. "Ah, Tails…?"

"Sonic. I was just about to contact you again. I, um, I think I found a way through…"

The hedgehog gave a single laugh. "I think I did too."

1-1-1

It was a twenty-minute project to coax the plane up the ramp and get it to stay underneath the half-open door. As soon as they succeeded, Knuckles started his way into the tower just as Sonic had, determinedly making his way up even if at a much slower pace. By the time the Master Emerald guardian got to the top floor, Sonic had literally fallen asleep from boredom, arms and legs crossed as he leaned against the metal wall of the hallway.

Knuckles, exhausted, could have plopped down and fallen asleep too.

He briefly considered the plethora of different things he could say or do to scare the sleep out of the unaware hedgehog, but decided against it, considering where they were and what they were doing. Instead he decided to let Sonic sleep while he did his part, going into the cell and examining the back wall.

There was just enough room between the wall and the edges of the panel for Knuckles to slip part of his hands in between. He did so and gave the thing a tug, seeing what he was up against. It didn't move, but something behind it gave a low crack, like a mechanism giving way. Better than nothing.

The echidna took a deep breath and then pulled as hard as he could, putting all his strength into it this time. To his relief, it moved, extending from the wall. His arms trembled as he stepped backward and kept pulling on it. The mechanics confining it to the wall cracked and groaned obnoxiously as they were stretched and broken.

"Wh-what _is_ _that!?_"

Knuckles paused but held the pressure against the panel's resistance as he looked over his shoulder at Sonic, who was suddenly in the cell with him. How could he have forgotten the hedgehog was sleeping? Sonic was loud enough when he was awake that there wasn't really any mistaking the difference… "I'm getting us behind the walls. Cover your ears if it bothers you." The guardian realized that despite his mild irritation at Sonic's complaint, it _was _a good idea to cover his ears. The own echidna's ears were buried beneath his dreadlocks, but Sonic's were currently standing upright on end, entirely exposed.

"Yeah… will do," Sonic said distantly, giving a shudder at the familiar but distorted noise. His ears folded down against his head and he took several extravagant steps back, more extravagant than Knuckles thought they needed to be.

Grunting in determination, Knuckles gave the panel one final, hard pull toward his chest. The atrocious creaking of metal echoed off the walls, but then it gave way and he stumbled back, falling to the floor and just barely throwing the detached slab off to the side before it could land atop him. It clanged down with enough force to be felt.

For a moment the echidna just laid there, winded. That thing was hard to break – even for him.

Sonic wandered closer. "Yeesh," he muttered distastefully, then grasped one of Knuckles hands with his own and pulled the echidna to his feet. "Wouldn't be surprised if they heard that down on the ramp."

Knuckles gave a nod and then looked at the space left behind by the missing partition. There was an arm of sorts sticking out: a device that let the panel be moved freely on its axis by mechanical means. That wasn't so much the case for more forceful means like Knuckles had just employed, and as such the panel had snapped right off the thing.

He squinted in through the dark. A couple feet away at the other end of that arm, to his complete dismay, was more wall. "Ah hell."

"Out of the way!"

Knuckles had just enough time to reflexively listen before Sonic shot by him, curled up into a ball, and launched himself into the indent. He struck the wall with tough, protective quills and then ricocheted backwards.

"It dented," Knuckles remarked with mild surprise, peering into the recess from off to the side. "It must not be nearly as thick, because there had to be room for the panel. Maybe we can weaken it and get through!"

"Beat ya to that thought, buddy," Sonic said, and rammed into the wall again. When he came back out, Knuckles took the opportunity to go in himself. He was the stronger of the two; if he struck it enough times, surely it would do just as much if not more than Sonic's speed-driven hits.

Jokingly, Sonic pretended he didn't see the echidna and made to hit the wall again. Knuckles predictably jumped and scrambled against one side of the gap to keep from getting mauled. Sonic stopped on a dime just before going in and snickered to himself.

"For someone who likes a job done fast, you're sure not facilitating it any," the echidna said.

"Neither are you, slowpoke. I think I got a whole night's sleep in while you were makin' your way up here!"

"Would explain why you're even more annoying than usual," Knuckles said, grinning a little, then began punching away at the dents Sonic had made. Immediately he could tell that the wall was hollow, not thick like the wall surrounding it. It was set far enough back from where the panel had been that the area they needed was probably right on the other side.

This was the easier part, and the dent poked through after a few heavy blows. He kept working at it until the gap was big enough for them to get through. All in a day's work for the strong Master Emerald guardian.

"You'll need that Emerald of yours to see much through here," the echidna said. "Squeeze back here and look."

Sonic did so, holding out the gem. "What, and you don't need it?"

"My ancestors spent a great deal of time in caves and underground areas. I'm good at seeing in the dark."

Inching closer, Sonic wedged himself in front of Knuckles and peered through the jagged opening the echidna created. Cast in the bright red light of the Emerald were countless wires and pipes. They looked tangled and messy up close, but looking at the whole scene revealed that it was organized chaos. Like the inner workings of a machine. In a way it probably was; Meka Tower was full of ingenious machinery. There was the network of scanners Eggman had used before, the mechanisms that allowed every cell to open or close remotely, the extravagant lighting… And the tower itself was built as a vessel to contain not only prisoners, but also the dark Chaos energy with which Eggman had intended to infect them. It needed to be strong and fortified.

"Guess I'm leading the way, huh…" Sonic muttered, glancing at the Master Emerald guardian behind him. "Something about this is making me think we shouldn't be here."

"You _think_?"

"Hey guys, you there?" Sonic nearly jumped when Tails's voice came out of their communicators. "I see you on the radar. I need you to be really, really careful in this area. Those wires dangling above you, Sonic? They're not protected and they'll electrocute you on the spot. This isn't an area of the tower that's meant to be traversed by the living– at all."

"You can tell what kind of wires they are?"

"Sonic." Tails sighed, sounding playfully insulted.

"Right, eight-year-old prodigy. Sometimes I forget."

Tails laughed, then continued on seriously: "This isn't the time for conversation, bro. You two could get killed back there."

"And this is different than any other day—"

"I think you can touch the wires with your hands, with those gloves on. Test it to be sure. But nothing else. Not even those quills of yours, Sonic."

"Hear that, hedgehog?" Knuckles snickered under his breath. "Gotta keep your big head out of the way."

"At least I'm not a knucklehead, though. We'll decide whose head is bigger by who gets themselves electrocuted first."

"Guys, seriously—"

"Right, right," Sonic said again. He removed one glove and tossed it gently upward. It touched the wires and fell to the ground, unaffected. Nodding to himself, he leaned down and put it back on, then stepped over the broken wall and into the area completely. "We'll be fine, bud, don't you worry. Knuckles, you coming?"

"Duh," the echidna muttered.

Together they gingerly wove their way around and through wires, making sure not to touch anything that looked dangerous. It was about a five-minute process. Knuckles noticed sweat on the top of Sonic's head, and sensed his impatience. They could _see _the other side – the path that had been on the radar – but they couldn't hurry to it, even though it was right there. The echidna wondered if letting Sonic step through first had been a great idea.

Then again, the hedgehog had calmly handled their exploration of the Egg Carrier 2 on the radar, despite its slow loading and despite the Chaos Emerald's unpredictability. Maybe being trapped for three months had taught the speedster a little patience.

"Uh-oh."

Though in some cases, patience was irrelevant, the echidna realized, coming to a rigid halt and slowly looking down at whatever he had just felt on his hand.

Sonic stopped too, ears perking up. "You okay?" He didn't turn around; there were exposed wires way too close to his head. Often he could be very graceful and precise in his movements – but that tended to mesh better with _fast _movements. He wasn't used to clunking through a tight area. He was used to fighting.

"I-I don't know," Knuckles said, voice as minimal as his movements. "Something's touching me."

"Make it not touch you…?"

"Something's snagged. Oh dear Chaos…"

The blue non-blur felt himself going cold under the sweat. A ghastly image of Knuckles being fried to a crisp flashed in his mind's eye. There were too many wires, too many exposed hazards. They were inside of the machine that was Meka Tower.

"Guys, I'm not liking what I'm hearing…" Tails's voice came through the communicator, and Sonic could tell the kid was trying to speak softly so as not to startle them. "Tell me you're out of there or at least close."

"Heh, we're close all right," Sonic murmured, looking past the wires ahead of him. "But I think we're clos_er _to a problem…"

Tails gasped, but somehow they didn't think it was because of what Sonic had said.

"What's wrong?" Knuckles demanded, not moving.

"I tried to use the radar to see where you guys are," Tails said. "It's showing everything, but… something is very, very wrong here…"

Sonic felt like his thumping heart was making his body pulsate closer to the wires surrounding him every time the blood rushed through his veins.

"Eggman _has _been up to something here… he didn't want anyone getting in here to rescue Amber, and it looks as though he wired this place up differently… you're _surrounded _by dark Chaos energy. It's flowing through this place's mechanics, the wires, the very air…!"

"But… but that doesn't make sense!" Sonic said, knowing full well his protest wouldn't shield them against the illogical but wishing it would anyway. "Didn't we just say that the Egg Carrier 2 was what we had to worry about as far as dark energy? Because Eggman's there and he's all screwed up and stuff?"

"Yes, Sonic, but…"

"But what?"

"There _is _dark energy here too. The radar didn't pick up on it, because it was dormant."

"So it somehow knows we're here all on its own then?"

"No, it became activated because… Sonic… your Chaos Emerald."

For a moment all three of them were quiet. Sonic became suddenly, uncomfortably aware of the gem's searing heat against his quills. It had interacted with the invisible energy in the tower. But what did that mean? Nothing was happening, about him or _to _him. He felt no sense of it other than the physical warmth.

"...I'm still stuck," Knuckles said dryly.

"You two need to get out of there."

"That helps."

"Here Knux… let me just turn around here, maybe I can help."

Knuckles didn't protest, but heavily considered it as he watched the blue hedgehog slowly try to turn around amidst the cluster of wires. He hoped Sonic was aware of the length of his quills – they could so easily touch something, the guardian wasn't actually sure how they _hadn't _yet…

Aware of his _own _long spines, Knuckles tilted his head forward just enough to get a glimpse of what was holding him back. It was, unsurprisingly, a loose wire. It was covered – he didn't want to think of what would already have happened if it _hadn't _been – but the covering was rough and worn in a spot, and it had snagged onto the material of his glove cuff, threateningly close to his exposed wrist. A frightened chill rippled through him and he closed his eyes, the importance of remaining still making it ever harder to do so.

"Knuckles."

The echidna looked up. Sonic had completely turned around to face him, and while addressing him, his voice had that same air of surprising calm that he had noticed before.

But then, Sonic wasn't the one who was a margin of a centimeter from being fatally electrocuted.

"Lemme try to get this. I'm gonna bend down so I can reach better."

"Just take the glove off," Knuckles said, understandably tense.

"Will do. Knux… seriously, don't move, okay? And Tails, don't talk for a sec. I'll take care of this."

In Sonic's eyes as he bent down was a suddenly higher degree of anxiety, for talking was much different than doing, and if that wire touched either of them they were dead.

Or if not dead, at least very seriously hurt… and in some less-active part of his mind, Sonic was aware of the potential domino effect waiting to happen. Even if touching the end of one of the wires _wouldn't _kill them, at the very best it would be extremely painful and make one jump. Such a sudden movement in a spot like this would ruin their chances completely. The inside of the machine was everywhere.

Before his hands shook, Sonic gripped the wire and held it fast and stable. If any charge could have reached him, the gloves kept it from doing so. He held still and didn't do anything else at first. The way the wire had snagged left the hazardous part nearly touching the tip of Knuckles's fur. If the guardian hadn't frozen exactly when he had…

"You're shaking," Knuckles murmured. "Get a hold of yourself or get away from me…"

"Well excuse me for kind of not wanting to kill you."

"Not sure how shaking contributes to that goal. Take a breath, hedgehog."

Gulping, Sonic did so, letting it settle deep within his chest and then releasing it through his mouth. It made the fur on Knuckles's arm stir slightly before him.

There was a spark between the wire and the guardian's wrist. They both inhaled sharply and Sonic's quills stiffened. He heard Knuckles make a quick, low whine in his throat – an involuntary, primal expression of fear that the guardian couldn't even help, because for that split second, he had expected death.

Fur and wire had made no contact. They had just come close enough for there to be static in between. Sonic gingerly pulled back on the wire, putting a few more millimeters' distance in between again, but dared to go no further than that; if he pulled it too much, he would pull Knuckles's arm with it, and the snag had that fatal wire _way _too close to risk that much surplus movement.

Knuckles did not move either, but his violet eyes locked on Sonic and he whispered shakily, "Never mind about the deep breaths…"

Not looking up at him, Sonic held the cord aside and cautiously tried to pull of Knuckles's glove. To their relief, the situation finally facilitated itself as the snag broke, letting the wire hang free and the glove remain on Knuckles's hand. They were both very still for a moment, making sure they were in the clear.

"Didn't think there'd be this many strings attached…"

"Hah, hah. Come on, hedgehog. We need to get out of this area."

Said hedgehog did so with no reluctance, letting the rigidity collapse from his quills so they would hang closer to him as he wound his way through the remaining wires. Knuckles followed closely behind.

Finally, they emerged from the net of wires, both sweating from nerves alone. Sonic glanced back at it distastefully, shuddering a bit before surveying the new area around them; an area of Meka Tower to which neither had ever been.

The interior was unremarkable at best. It was a narrow path that spiraled upward beyond where they were – to the storage floor where Amber was being held, undoubtedly. This new path, outside the halls of prison cells, was at the outermost edge of the tower. There were thick, opaque windows through which they could make out the snow-dusted dunes and the tower's front ramp.

"Tails, we're all right, bud," Sonic said as they made their way up. "We can talk again."

"Good, because I just discovered something and I need to tell you right now. That negative energy that activated because of your Chaos Emerald? It's not affecting you guys because it's not _meant _to. It's engineered to affect the tower _itself_. Eggman must have wanted a defense – he was prepared for us to come in here!"

"Sounds Eggman-ish enough," Sonic said. "We'll be outta here in a jiffy!"

"I hope so, because it's not as Eggman-ish as you think… this isn't fueling some kind of trap or ambush, and it's not just an alert to Eggman that we're here…"

"What _is it _then?" Knuckles pressed.

"I-I think Meka Tower is going to blow up!"

"_Blow up!?_"

1-1-1

Wooo, that certainly sounds a bit familiar…

Was trying to find a way for them to get where they needed to be, OTHER than breaking through the back of Sonic's cell… that fricking panel got enough screen-time in SR... xD It occurred to me to have Tails fly Sonic up to the hatch door that leads to that storage area… but there'd still be the matter of opening it. Plus, enough of the following scenes/chapters were relevant to THIS version that it would be a pain to try and change it. Tails has a more significant role later on though, so it's probably better for Knuckles to have gotten some attention in this chapter anyway. c:

Hope you enjoyed the chapter, guys! Next update should be soon enough. Thanks for reading! If you wanna talk Sonic, as far as fanfiction or Sonic Lost World, hit me up! :) Take care, folks.


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